


Somewhere Else

by Lexigent



Category: Slings & Arrows
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 19:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6127072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexigent/pseuds/Lexigent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short post-canon fic of Maria, Geoffrey and Ellen on the road.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somewhere Else

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesireeArmfeldt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesireeArmfeldt/gifts).



It's not easy – in fact, it's the opposite of easy. But then, Ellen surmises, her whole life – their whole lives – have been the opposite of easy. Just because you get married doesn't magic away the problems that were there before, but it helps with thinking that at least there is _something_ permanent that she's taking with her where she's going, something that doesn't have to be thrown out when they pack up what's left of her possessions in New Burbage in preparation for the move to Montréal. 

"Every creative act is making something out of nothing," is something that Geoffrey used to say to actors back in the early days of the Theatre Sans Argent. That's all well and good, but making a whole life out of nothing is not something that drama school prepares you for. 

Out of all people, Maria is the one who's volunteered to go down with them, to help set up the theatre. "At least there'll be one sane person in the whole venture, you need one sane person," she'd said that last night after Lear, and that had been that. 

And then it all boils down to boxing things up, and getting some guys with a truck, and driving down in the car behind them. 

There'll be lots to worry about when they get there, but right now they're on the road, with an ending behind them and a beginning in front of them, and that's always been something Ellen has treasured.  
They'll have to look into funding and getting the theatre off the ground, into reviving what contacts they have left, and all of that is stuff that Ellen hasn't done since her first year out of drama school, and Geoffrey has left to other people for the past few years. 

"Know anyone in Montréal with some money?" Ellen asks Maria, who's driving. It's meant to be light, but it is a real issue so it comes out more pained than she'd have liked. Maria takes a drag on her cigarette. "Nah. You?"  
"We'll write some funding applications," Geoffrey chips in from the back seat. "Culture. Education. Something." 

"If all else fails, you can teach execs about Claudius' crisis management techniques," Ellen says. It gets a giggle from all of them, but then Geoffrey says, "Yeah, except, you know. I wouldn't be." 

"Doesn't matter what you do in the class as long as they've paid." 

"God," Geoffrey says. 

"You know I'm right," she says. "You've never kept to a syllabus in your life." 

"Never had any complaints." 

"My point exactly." 

He leans in and look at her pointedly, then nods. 

"We'll figure it out." 

"We'll have to." 

He sighs dramatically and falls back into his seat. "Or die trying." 

And, Ellen thinks, after this last production? That actually doesn't sound as drastic as it should.


End file.
